Process and apparatus for coating the surfaces of containers with a material

Abstract

Disclosed is a process and an apparatus for coating with a material a plurality of containers transported consecutively, in which after the completion of coating with the material flowing down of the uppermost container of the containers being transported vertically, the subsequent container becomes the new uppermost container which will be subject to next coating with the material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for coating surfaces of plural containers with a liquid material as the containers are continuously transported in spaced apart relation in a stream comprising moving said stream of containers continuously along a span in the vertical direction while rotating the containers about their horizontal axes, the containers having similarly contoured surfaces defining a particular contoured edge as viewed in a horizontal plane, flowing said liquid material downwardly from just above the uppermost container of the vertical span so as to coat the surface of the uppermost container adjacent the horizontal contoured edge from one end to the other with said liquid material along a line which in a horizontal plane corresponds generally to the particular horizontal contoured edge of the container to be coated, moving the stream of containers along a span which communicates with the uppermost container position in the vertical span, so that the liquid material will be directed on the exposed surface of the uppermost container in the vertical span even while an adjacent container in the stream is moving above and relative to the vertical span along the span which communicates with the uppermost container position, the arrangement being such that there is always a surface of a container presented below said line of flow of liquid material, and when the coating of said uppermost container has been completed, feeding a subsequent container to the uppermost position in the vertical span. 
     
     
       2. An apparatus for coating a liquid material on the surfaces of the containers comprising means for moving the containers continuously along a span in the vertical direction while rotating the containers about their horizontal axes, the containers having similarly contoured surfaces defining a particular contoured edge as viewed in a horizontal plane, means moving the stream of containers along another span which communicates with the uppermost container position in the vertical span, whereby a container moving along said other span leaves exposed beneath it a horizontal contoured edge of the container in the uppermost position of the vertical span, and nozzle means above the uppermost container in the vertical span and arranged along a line which in a horizontal plane extends adjacent the horizontal contoured edge from one end of the container to the other end thereof and corresponds generally to the particular horizontal contoured edge of the container that is exposed to the nozzle means when a container is moving along the span which communicates with the uppermost container position in the vertical span, so that the liquid material will be directed on the exposed surface of the uppermost container in the vertical span even while an adjacent container in the stream is moving above and relative to the vertical span. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said nozzle means comprises a plurality of openings from which said liquid material is discharged, and said plurality of openings are arranged along said line in a horizontal plane so as to correspond generally to the horizontal contour of the container to be coated with the liquid material.